Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew
, Updated Nov 30, 2025
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Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew – tender beef and vegetables in a rich and flavorful gravy. This easy stew is sure to become your favorite comfort food.
Beef and ale stew reminds me of pub lunches in front of a roaring fire = pure comfort. Luckily you can recreate the comfort in your slow cooker! Stews and casseroles are perfectly suited to the slow cooker. They are fuss free and low effort and yield amazing drool-worthy results.
Even better, they use cheaper cuts of meat that require long cooking to transform into melt-in-the-mouth tender morsels. I used braising steak (a.k.a chuck steak) but beef shin or any type of stewing beef can be used. Serve your beef and ale stew over mashed potatoes or with roast potatoes and a glass of ale of course!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Beef: Use stewing or braising beef, cut into chunks. These tougher cuts are perfect for the slow cooker – they break down over several hours into tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef with loads of flavor.
- Onion, carrots, celery and leek: This mix of shallots or onion, celery, carrots and leek forms the flavour base of the stew. They soften as they cook, sweeten the gravy and make the stew feel hearty and satisfying.
- Ale: A full-bodied brown ale adds depth, richness and a subtle malty sweetness to the gravy. It cooks down with the stock and veggies into that classic pub-style beef and ale flavor. You can also use an alcohol-free ale although you don’t need to worry about the alcohol content, it burns off during the cooking.
- Flavor Boosters: Crumbled beef stock cubes boost the “beefy” flavor, Worcestershire sauce adds savory depth, tang and a touch of umami that really rounds out the stew. We also need a little concentrated tomato paste for color and gentle sweetness and a spoonful of Dijon mustard to cut through the richness of the gravy.
- To thicken the stew: A little xanthan gum will thicken your stew nicely and it is also suitable for those following a Keto or low carb diet. You can also use cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken your stew. Dilute the cornflour in cold water to make a slurry and stir into the stew at the end of cooking.
How to make Beef and Ale Stew
- Season the beef cubes with a few turns of the salt and pepper mill. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the beef, in batches until nicely colored. Set aside.
- Add all the vegetables in your slow cooker and then mix in the crushed beef cubes, garlic granules, salt, pepper, mustard, tomato purée and sugar. Add the xanthan gum or cornflour slurry.
- Add the browned beef, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and ale. Stir to combine, cover and cook 8 hours on LOW or 5-6 hours on HIGH setting.
- Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve over mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash and sprinkle with the parsley.
Leftovers and storage
Beef and ale stew actually tastes even better the next day, so it’s perfect for cooking ahead.
- Fridge: Let the stew cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for to 3–4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot, adding a splash of water or stock if the gravy has thickened too much.
- Freezer: Cool the stew completely. Portion into freezer-safe containers or bags, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat until steaming hot before serving.
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Slow Cooker Beef and Ale Stew
Video
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 2 lb (900g) chuck steak or braising steak , cubed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 small shallots or 1 large onion , diced
- 2 stalks celery , finely diced
- 3 medium carrots , sliced
- 1 leek , white parts only, chopped
- 2 beef stock cubes , crumbled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup (259ml) ale
- 1 tsp xanthan gum or 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp cold water
- Chopped parsley , to garnish
Instructions
- Season the beef cubes with a few turns of the salt and pepper mill.2 lb (900g) chuck steak or braising steak, Salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the beef, in batches until nicely coloured. Set aside.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Add all the vegetables in your slow cooker and then mix in the crushed beef cubes, garlic granules, salt, pepper, mustard, tomato purée and sugar. Add the xanthan gum or cornflour slurry.6 small shallots , 2 stalks celery, 3 medium carrots, 1 leek, 2 beef stock cubes, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic granules, ½ tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Add the browned beef, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and ale. Stir to combine, cover and cook 8 hours on LOW or 5-6 hours on HIGH setting.2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup (259ml) ale
- If the gravy needs thickening, stir in the diluted xanhtan gum or cornstarch slurry and simmer on HIGH for a few minutes.1 tsp xanthan gum or
- Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash and sprinkle with the parsley.Chopped parsley
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Trying this recipe now for my first slow cooker meal! Can’t wait to report back.